Vogue Fashion’s Night Out

On Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited along to a host of Fashion’s Night Out events in London. Usually, attending events in London is difficult for me as I live up north. I travel to and from London regularly and am practically on first name terms with the East Coast train guards, but it’s always better to have a base in the city to head back to after a hectic day in heels. So I was delighted when Premier Inn offered to swap my uncomfortable train seat and soggy panini for a bouncy bed and fluffy pillow.

The blogger bundle waiting for me on arrival

I stayed in the County Hall hotel which was spotless, well-equipped and perfectly placed for exploring London. I’ve stayed in countless budget hotels on my travels across the country and County Hall is one of the best I’ve visited – it impressed me both inside and out.

After a quick change and a bottle of bubbly, Rachel and I headed to Oxford Street to kick off Fashion’s Night Out at John Lewis.

I wore: American Apparel tee, skirt c/o Next, Michael Kors jacket via TK Maxx, boots c/o Sarenza, ASOS necklace, Cambridge Satchel Co bag
Rachel wore: H&M blazer, Topshop dress via charity shop, New Look shoes and bag

First we were treated to an OPI manicure by the lovely Mercedez, then after taking a million photos of Mischa Barton (who was in store to promote her handbag range), we headed upstairs for the AW 11 fashion show.

Mischa looked stunning in a simple black dress and those shoes

The gorgeous girl in the Chaplin-inspired outfit did a dance at the end of the catwalk!

I have total hair envy – bobbed red curls are on my wishlist

My favourite outfits were a mix of 40s and 60s influences with touches of androgyny and oversized accessories. I love the tea dress with leather accessories and the patterned tights – sure to become staples in my winter wardrobe. To see more from the evenings, take a look at the video of Fashion’s Night Out created by John Lewis, featuring some fabulous bloggers sharing their thoughts on the big trends for Autumn/Winter 2011.

After John Lewis we stopped at Yo Sushi for sartorial sustenance then powered on down Oxford Street, stopping at Selfridges and Topshop for champagne, music and some shopping.

There was lots going on inside Liberty, but the building itself is exciting enough

A cute pink mini with a Biba mannequin perched on top, parked outside House of Fraser

At Michael Kors in Selfridges, there was a 70s houseparty theme as we picked keys from a bowl… the winning keys opened the padlocks to reveal a shopping spree, an iPad2 and a trip to New York. Sadly our luck was out!

With achey feet and swimming heads we finally made it back to our hotel, with the London Eye (which I unashamedly adore) lighting our way.

Thanks for having me, London – see you again soon for Fashion Week!